Appointed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) after the national team failed to qualify for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals under Pierluigi Casiraghi, Ferrara has led the Azzurrini to five wins in six competitive games, and they are four points clear of Turkey at the top of qualifying Group 7 with a game in hand.

The 45-year-old former defender coached Juventus between May 2009 and January 2010. As a player, Ferrara won Serie A championships with SSC Napoli and Juventus and was capped 49 times by Italy. The FIGC are yet to name his successor as U21 coach.

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